As Donald Trump’s former defence lawyer Todd Blanche appears poised for confirmation as attorney general, numerous Jeffrey Epstein survivors have sounded the alarm that a US justice department helmed by him would derail their pursuit of justice.
In a letter urging Republican senators to reject his nomination, survivors said that Blanche’s handling of the Epstein case as acting attorney general was characterised by misstep after misstep. Blanche allowed the disclosure of survivors’ names and photos but omitted the names of accused abusers and enablers, they said.
Legal veterans told the Guardian that a Blanche-led DoJ would likely derail survivors’ efforts for accountability. Bryan Sullivan, a partner with Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae, said a confirmation would mean “more suppression and no active investigations” into Epstein’s sex trafficking. Ron Kuby, a renowned defence lawyer, said: “It means that no other perpetrators will be held criminally liable for their misconduct.”
Survivors’ advocates noted that roadblocks under Blanche did not portend a permanent impediment to justice, but attorneys cautioned that legal avenues outside the DoJ would be an uphill battle. “Courts are grossly underfunded... all of it takes time,” Sullivan said.
